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Reading Comprehension – Informational Passages
Directions: Read the passage. Then answer questions about the passage below.
Europe is the second smallest continent, after Australia. Surprisingly, there are 44 countries in
Europe. Over 700 million people live in Europe. European ideas are everywhere in the world. You can
see examples of European culture, language, and buildings all around the world.
In sports, European soccer is very popular. Soccer teams from Europe have gone to the World
Cup finals every year except 1930 and 1950. Many people say that the British, Italian, and Spanish
soccer leagues are the world’s best. Cycling is also very popular in Europe – especially in France. The
Tour de France is the biggest bicycle race in the world. In 1903, when the race first began, racers had to
ride along the
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e border of France. That’s a long distance!
In
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y, Germany makes the most cars in Europe. In fact, if you visit Germany, you can go
on a tour of the BMW factory. You can also go on a tour of the Porsche factory in Stuttgart, Germany.
England is famous for china and pottery. Of course, the Champagne region in France is famous for its
wine. Only a certain famous, bubbly wine from this area can be called by the name “champagne.”
Flower farming is an important industry in Holland. Holland is famous for its tulips.
Europe is also famous for its food. The oldest cookbook in Europe was called De Re Coquinaria,
or, “The Art of Cooking”. It was written in Latin. There is much
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y over the identity of the
book’s author. Some people think the book was written by a very good cook named Marcus Gavius
Apicus. Others don’t think that this book came from him. The book does not tell how to prepare the
dishes, but it does tell what to put in each dish.
European historical architecture are among the most well–known in the world. One example of a
famous architectural structure is called “Stonehenge,” in England. Stonehenge has many, very large
stones set up in circles. No one knows why the stones were set up that way, because it was at a time
before history was recorded. Many people think Stonehenge is holy. In addition to Stonehenge, The
“Acropolis” in Athens, Greece is also very famous for its architectural structures. The Acropolis is a
flat–topped hill, which lies about 150 meters above sea level. Many historical temples and other
buildings were built on the Acropolis. The Acropolis is a huge tourist
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this location each year.
Modern European buildings are also tourist sites. The Eiffel Tower is the fifth tallest building in
France. When it was built in 1889, it was the world’s tallest building. More than 200,000,000 people
have visited the Eiffel Tower since it was built. It was named after Gustave Eiffel, who designed it. It is
now a symbol of France. The year 2009 marks the 150
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birthday of another famous tourist site in
Europe: Big Ben. Big Ben is located atop the Westminster Palace in London, England. Big Ben is the
largest four–faced chiming clock in the world. Chiming clocks are clocks that use bells to make their
sound. Big Ben is a universal symbol of the United Kingdom.
Many European cities are famous for their churches and castles. The Sistine Chapel in the
Vatican is the place where cardinals, very high Catholic bishops, meet to pick a new pope. The ceiling
of the Sistine Chapel was painted by the artist Michelangelo. The Cathedral of Seville, Spain, is also
very
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t. This grand cathedral is beautifully decorated with outstanding colors. It is also the
place where Christopher Columbus is buried.
England is now getting ready for the 2012 Olympics. About 4,000 companies and 15,000
workers are working to get the city of Stratford ready. The workers are building a new shopping center
and many new hotels, with about 2,000 hotel rooms just for Olympics visitors! Since so many people
live in Europe, they
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t many visitors. As the Olympic planners say, London, England is less than a
3–hour flight away for more than 300 million people.
